Hi, I’m Madeline Davis, the solo creator behind Lurking Legends.

I’m a game design instructor at the University of Central Florida, where I’ve been teaching since 2018. With a background in Studio Art (BA) and a Master’s in Digital Media, I’ve spent the last several years helping students bring their game ideas to life, while quietly tinkering with a few of my own. I’ve always loved games, both digital and physical, and this project gave me the chance to pour that love into something tactile, weird, and (hopefully) unforgettable.

Lurking Legends truly came to life in 2023, after a visit to the Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, sparked something familiar. With family roots in Appalachia and a lifelong enjoyment of storytelling, fables, and the old wives’ tales passed down around kitchen tables, I wanted to create a game that captured that blend of myth, mystery, and mischief, featuring cryptid characters whose stories have been shared across generations.

While this has been a solo creative endeavor, with every card, piece of artwork, and game mechanic designed and illustrated by me, it wouldn’t have reached the finish line without the incredible support of my family, friends, students, and colleagues. Their encouragement helped turn this strange little idea into a real, playable reality.